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LowCards.com does not include all credit card companies or every available credit card offer. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of the credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information, however credit card offers change frequently. After you click on an offer you will be directed to the credit card issuer’s secure web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your offer.

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The CFPB’s Accomplishments in its First Two Years

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is celebrating its two-year anniversary with much calmer waters ahead.

The CFPB has been the center of political firestorms ever since it was originally formed. Republicans first opposed Elizabeth Warren as the head of the agency. Then, they demanded structural changes to the CFPB before they would agree to a vote on a permanent director. Those changes included subjecting the agency to congressional budget appropriations as well as wanting the Bureau to be run by a five-person commission rather than one director.

But last week, Richard Cordray was finally approved as the CFPB's first director and the agency would seem to be primed to make additional headway in the coming year.

In its brief existence, the CFPB has a number of achievements to celebrate:

It has handled over 175,000 consumer complaints on credit cards, mortgages, student loans, bank accounts and auto loans. The Bureau uses this database to help prioritize complaints for investigation and makes these complaints public. An example of the benefits of this complaint database can be see with the credit card industry. Prior to the agency being formed, there was no way for consumers to see the complaints or response rate when comparing credit card issuers. The database shows which issuers have had the most complaints on their cards and how specific complaints were ultimately handled. The data can be viewed online by company, consumer zip code and type of complaint. The CFPB reviews each complaint and forwards the ones that meet its criteria to the appropriate company for review and resolution. Companies have 15 days to provide a response to each consumer complaint. Most complaints are expected to be resolved and closed within 60 days. The filer can track the progress of the complaint and dispute the resolution provided by the financial institution. If the CFPB finds possible legal violations, it will work with other parts of the Bureau to deal with the potential violation.

Ordered three credit-card companies--American Express, Capital One and Discover--to return a combined $425 million to consumers, primarily for misleading sales tactics.

It has notified banks, payday lenders, finance companies and other lenders that they will be held accountable for unlawful conduct in collecting consumer debt. The Bureau is also adding debt collection to its complaint database and providing action letters that consumers can use in their correspondence with debt collectors.

It is investigating bank overdraft practices since consumers paid $32 billion in overdraft fees last year. The CFPB study showed overdraft coverage varies significantly by financial institution, and that consumers who sign up for overdraft coverage have higher costs and more involuntary account closures.

It has developed a "Know Before You Owe" initiative, which tries to help people understand the consequences of the debt.

The CFPB now investigates inaccurate information on credit reports, the improper use of people's reports, the inability of consumers to obtain copies of their reports or credit scores, and problems with identity-theft-protection services.

It updated existing regulations to make it easier for spouses or partners who do not work outside of the home to qualify for credit cards.

It is encouraging solutions for more affordable loan options for college loans.

About Bill Hardekopf

Bill Hardekopf is the CEO of LowCards.com and covers the credit card industry from all perspectives. Bill has been involved with personal finance for over 12 years. He is a frequent contributor to Forbes, The Street and The Christian Science Monitor. Bill can be contacted directly at billh@lowcards.com

Editorial Note: This content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuer. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of the credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This site may be compensated through the credit card issuer affiliate program. See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information, however all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on an offer you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your offer.

Advertiser Disclosure: LowCards.com is an independent, for-profit web site. LowCards.com participates in the Affiliate Network, and receives compensation from most of the credit card issuers whose offers appear on the site. This compensation helps support our website and enables us to write insightful articles to help you manage your credit card accounts. This compensation, as well as the likelihood of applicants’ credit approval and our own proprietary website guidelines, may impact how and where the cards appear on our site.

LowCards.com does not include all credit card companies or every available credit card offer. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of the credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information, however credit card offers change frequently. After you click on an offer you will be directed to the credit card issuer’s secure web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your offer.